Critter Control of Northern Arizona

Raccoons in Flagstaff are omnivores, meaning they will eat whatever they can find. Examples include insects, fruits, nuts, human food, pet food, and fish. Raccoons use their human-like hands to unlatch food storage boxes, tip over trash cans, steal garden crops, snatch chickens from a coop, dig holes in sod, grab fish in ponds, and climb trees or chimneys.

Raccoons will travel a few miles each night in search of food. They are nocturnal, but seeing them during the day does not always mean they are diseased. Raccoons have features that make them easy to identify, like their permanent black mask and striped tails. Don’t let their cuteness fool you, though. If raccoons can get into your home, they will cause a lot of destruction.

Raccoons enjoy building nests in your attic. In the process, they scratch flooring, shred insulation, rip drywall, and destroy sentimental items. They may also clog vents and ducts with materials, creating fire hazards.

In Arizona, raccoons are fur-bearing animals that may require permits during trapping seasons. Following the laws is crucial, like using correct traps and releasing them on your property. They cannot be relocated due to the potential for spreading disease. Keeping mamas and babies together is essential if a raccoon has recently given birth.

Raccoons create a space in your home where they leave feces and urine. The area should receive sanitization and ectoparasitic treatments.

Squirrels are rodents, and multiple species of tree, rock, and ground squirrels exist in Arizona. The one you see daily in your backyard is likely the rock or tree squirrels. They are attracted to easy food sources like bird feeders and open gardens. Squirrels enjoy seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, bird eggs, nuts, and some flowers. Some may strip bark from your trees to eat or use it as nesting materials.

Squirrels create dens where they hoard their findings. Rock squirrels will burrow underground, making a tunnel system with multiple entrances. Burrows are dangerous when they exist under driveways, foundations, and walkways. Encountering a burrow can cause injury to humans, horses, and farm equipment.

Squirrels will make the attic a den when possible and chew through siding, shingles, wire vents, and wood to get there. Squirrels must constantly gnaw on items to prevent their teeth from overgrowth, which can be painful. This can be bad news for your home and property. We can get rid of squirrels.

Squirrels are usually easy to flush out of spaces, but sometimes a trap is needed. You must obtain proper permitting when necessary. The mating season of squirrels in Arizona is usually March and July. Thirty days later, they give birth to a litter of between five and seven. When removing squirrels, ensure mothers and babies stay together.

The little brown and free-tailed bats are the most prevalent in Flagstaff. Bats are great for the ecosystem. One bat consumes thousands of insects each night. They also pollinate plants. Bats don’t typically threaten humans, but they can be a nuisance.

One of the biggest problems is bat guano or feces that contains uric acid, enough to stain and erode woods and metals. Guano also has a foul odor and can grow mold spores that, if inhaled, may cause respiratory issues in humans. An example is Histoplasmosis.

All bats have a special status in Arizona, either endangered or threatened. Diseases like the white-nosed syndrome are impacting bat populations everywhere. Their status prevents you from removing them during the maternity season, which typically runs from May to September in Arizona.

Once out of your home, you must clean areas where there was bat guano. It’s critical to apply ectoparasitic and sanitization treatments.

In recent years, skunks in Flagstaff, AZ, have been at the center of rabies outbreaks in urban and suburban areas. These pests are scavengers that eat carrion, including the carcasses of rabid bats. Once it contracts the virus, a skunk can spread rabies to other wildlife, pets, and even humans.

Flagstaff neighborhoods offer both food and shelter for these animals, bringing them in close proximity to homes and yards. Rabies spreads quickly when healthy and infected skunks den in the same areas or compete for resources.

To avoid a skunk’s spray rely on professional handling and skunk trapping. Removing food supplies is one of the most effective ways to prevent a skunk from entering your property.

Gophers are prevalent throughout Northern Arizona and are usually detected when they excavate burrows in your yard forming an unsightly, large horseshoe shaped mound of dirt.  They feed upon roots of plants and particularly like rare landscaping flowers, shrubs, and irrigated lawns.  Gophers have been known to completely destroy a garden in week by eating all the vegetables above and below ground.  They will also chew on irrigation lines causing leaks and expensive repairs.
 
Underground tunnel systems can also be dangerous for people, pets, and livestock when they collapse not to mention the undermining of foundations that occurs.  At the first sign of gophers, call your local Critter Control office to address the problem promptly before costly damages occur.

Pack rats are very common across Northern Arizona especially in the Verde Valley and throughout the Prescott area.  They are primarily nocturnal animals rarely active during the day.  They are aptly named for their tendencies to collect items and "pack" them into their nests. 

They can build large nests under decks, in attics, or just about any place that is a protected cavity.  They especially love to inhabit prickly vegetation and old junk piles in the yard.  Pack Rats are notorious for chewing car wiring, electrical lines and water pipes, causing thousands of dollars of damage very quickly.  The first sign of a Pack Rat infestation is usually the large "banana-shaped" droppings and urine stains which they will leave prominently throughout their travel areas.  Call Critter Control when you notice these signs or hear something in your attic to get the problem taken care of quickly.